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peace

This is a simple little story about the most darling 2yr old girl in the WORLD! (yes, I am slightly biased. She is my sister)

Kimi didn’t really talk much before I left on my mission. She would use ASL to communicate mostly. We had a lot of fun times going on walks, watching the train go by & painting. On one particularly sunny day, we were on the front porch. I was drawing clouds & she was colouring them in. Nothing else was going on, we were just enjoying the day together. At one point Kimi sat back, looked up at the sky & signed happy in ASL as she sighed. Then quietly she spoke the word, “Happy.” with a smile.

How often are those small moments over looked? It’s easy to recognize hard times we have, but we are also given moments of peace & happiness. I believe children are given to us so we can remember & reflect on what is most precious & simple.

Kimi

“If we have a heart to learn and a willingness to follow the example of children, their divine attributes can hold a key to unlocking our own spiritual growth.” JEAN A. STEVENS

If you are looking for a flathead screwdriver you will find a phillips head…..and, visa versa.

This life is full of surprises, twists & turns, & disappointments. I’ve had some in my own life. When I was small, my parents divorced. I wanted so badly for them to be together & for everyone to be happy. But that wasn’t possible, at least, not the way I saw it happening. The Lord sees things in a different light. His perfect knowledge & love may seem to be absent at times, but it is constantly & consistently there . His hand is in everything, it is such an incredible thing that at times I hardly notice it. It isn’t until I learn to step back & look at the broad spectrum of things, that I can realize: I wasn’t in charge. I wasn’t alone. And I can always count on the Lord when I feel like it’s all up to me.
Today, I have that peace & happiness, which was the root of desire when I was little. My family is now the way the Lord wanted it to be. It isn’t perfect, but they are my family. They are all incredible & have such unique personalities, I wouldn’t want it any other way.
We all struggle with wanting to change situation, a person, or a gift into something that we believe will make it better, less frustrating or more desirable. I was thought what I was asking God was a good thing, but He had something better in mind. I needed to learn to desire what God desires & as that happens, peace comes.

I was able to talk to my brother a while back. It’s been a while since we’ve chatted & I think it’s funny that the first thing he said was “I miss your hugs!!” It’s like routine for us. If one of us ever has a bad day we just walk through the door, hug it out, & life is good. We don’t really feel the need to say anything but that’s how we do it. That’s when the stresses seem to melt away a little.

“The words ‘I love you,’ ‘Thank you very much,’ & ‘Forgive me’ are like a balm to the soul.” – Elder Falabella

I was reading in the Bible today & found a great story about two brothers. Maybe you heard of Jacob & Esau?
They were brothers & rivals for pretty much all their lives. They competed for blessings, land, & money. Their story is one of intense feelings and bitter rivalry, but it has a ‘happily ever-after’. It prompts us to evaluate our own family relationships and suggests some ways we may attempt to resolve any lingering unkind feelings. Esau focused more on the things of the world, while Jacob was a “plain man”. Eventually, after a long time away from each-other the hard feelings they harbored melted away. When Esau saw Jacob for the first time in forever, he “embraced him, and fell on his neck, and kissed him: and they wept”.

That is a reminder to me of what Elder Kopischke has said about being accepted:

“The feeling of being accepted by someone we love is a basic human need. Being accepted by good people motivates us. It increases our sense of self-worth & self-confidence.

[The Lord’s] loving acceptance will motivate us, increase our faith &help us deal with everything we face in life. Despite our challenges, we will be successful & prosper & feel at peace.“

The Lord has given us families for us to help strengthen each other during difficult times. It’s not always happiness & roses. Zach & I had some rough times. Jacob & Esau learned to forgive. But at the end of the day, when we can love & forgive each other- HUG it out!- we’re doing good.

Why Hello! I'm a missionary for the LDS church in Northern Florida! I love my family & all the wild times we have together. I love art, food & music. And I really love this church, which is all about families!